SnowGlobe: Loud and Puzzling

Thereand#8217;s something in the air and it sure isnand#8217;t snow. More likely, itand#8217;s the buzz humming around SnowGlobe. If youand#8217;re making your way over to the three-day festival, hereand#8217;s a few artists worth picking out of the bunch.

Blockhead and#8212; Itand#8217;s not hot cocoa, but New Yorkand#8217;s Blockhead has got your party warm-up. Kick out those legs, punch a few shadows and tip back the first brews of South Lake Tahoeand#8217;s inaugural SnowGlobe Festival. Itand#8217;s bound to be good, but first weand#8217;ve all got to get in shape. 2:45 p.m on the SnowGlobe Stage.

n Yacht and#8212; The second stage of any good party weekend warm-up is to set the mood. Yachtand#8217;s freaky indie electro will put that weird devious smile on your cocktail splattered face. Just make sure youand#8217;re limber before you join these happy maniacs. 5:30 p.m. on the SnowGlobe Stage.

Big Gigantic and#8212; When a crowd really gets together and the individuals are lost in one big sea of energy, itand#8217;s a rare and beautiful thing. Expect to lose yourself, for the first time this weekend, during Big Gigantic. The bass-heavy drummer/ producer duo can handle big groups, so donand#8217;t try to hang on. Just go with the sax. 7:15 p.m. on the SnowGlobe Stage.

Pretty Lights and#8212; Headed by Derek Vincent Smith, this DJ/drummer duo will put you on the floor … the dance floor. Ultra-smooth groove rhythms mixed with hip-hop classics and tossed with, um, a pretty light show. If you havenand#8217;t discovered Pretty Lights, (First: Where have you been?) (Second: get on it.) The groupand#8217;s music is available for free or donation-based download on their website, Prettylightsmusic.com.

Govinda and#8212; This rapidly rising Austin-based act will eat all of your senses. Govinda isnand#8217;t just music, itand#8217;s an entire production, complete with dancers, projections, violin and, likely on this occasion, the smell of people dancing in clothes too heavy for such an activity. 2:30 p.m. at the Sierra Stage.

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Fishbone and#8212; This is one of those and#8220;WTF?and#8221; acts. They get mixed into a lineup that seemingly shares no similarities. But donand#8217;t worry about it. This classic alt-rock group will definitely still knock socks. Not to mention they have one of the most recognizable logos ever created by a band. If youand#8217;re not into rock and#8217;nand#8217; roll throwbacks, you could always go listen to the fart noises emanating from Tipperand#8217;s show. 4 p.m. at the SnowGlobe Stage.

Dilated Peoples and#8212; While Datsik, Eliot Lipp and Heyoka will be frothing out electric beats on the smaller stages, hip-hop aficionados will undoubtedly be calmly bobbing their brains out to the uber-under-appreciated (Does that make sense?) Dilated Peoples. The Los Angeles-based crew has been churning out albums for more than a decade and a new one is expected in 2012. 5:30 p.m. on the SnowGlobe Stage.

A-Trak and#8212; Anyone who can mix submarine sounds into their music is probably worth checking out. A-Trak has been around for days and heand#8217;s always coming up with corky and ultimately danceable scratches for, oh, just Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco Kid Sister and other heavyweights. The guy won the DJ World Championships at 15. If thatand#8217;s not reason enough to see him, you probably donand#8217;t deserve ears. 8 p.m. on the Sierra Stage.

Bassnectar and#8212; There is some danger in seeing Bassnectar outdoors in the middle of winter. If his show is anything like, well, every other show heand#8217;s ever played, itand#8217;s going to be a mosh pit marathon and everyone will be soaked in sweat. If youand#8217;re lucky youand#8217;ll freeze mid-headbang, which will make an awesome ice sculpture. Just tell your friends beforehand to slide you over to one of the artcars. They can melt you with their flame-throwers. 9 p.m. on the SnowGlobe Stage

Robotic Pirate Monkey and#8212; Dubstep for breakfast? Letand#8217;s not kid anybody. Few festivalgoers are going to wake up before 2 p.m. If thatand#8217;s the case, Robotic Pirate Monkey will go well with your coffee and pastry, as long as its filled with ecstasy, wait, I meant icing. 4:30 p.m. on the Sierra Stage.

n Mansions on the Moon and#8212; Nothing like atmospheric indie pop jams to make you appreciate a glittering environment and a colorful sunset. Mansions on the Moon is the perfect precursor to kicking off a wild new yearand#8217;s eve. The soothing sparkles and soft vocals will make you reflect on your own dotted past and ask yourself questions like and#8220;How did I lose my pants at Bassnectar last night?and#8221; 5:45 p.m. on the Sierra Stage.

Samples and#8212; When everything has gone mad, when youand#8217;ve lost all your belongings, when your friends hate you for being too drunk, or maybe when youand#8217;re getting a bit lonely, Samples is a nice acoustic guitar reprieve from the brain-scattering blasts of bass to sway gently and cry your eyes out to or to hug and make out with a total stranger to. Plus, itand#8217;ll give you a nice melancholy melody to hum after you miss the shuttle. 7:45 p.m. at the Igloo Stage.

Phutureprimitive and#8212; Letand#8217;s just say youand#8217;re creeping through a post-apocalyptic jungle full of snakes, jaguars, giant trees and vines. Up ahead thereand#8217;s a tribal gathering with mostly naked zealots dancing low to the ground around a blazing fire. What kind of music are these freaks getting down to? That would be Phutureprimitive. See the show, avoid the temptation to don a loin cloth. 9 p.m. on the Igloo Stage.

The Glitch Mob and#8212; No, youand#8217;re not going to turn into a princess or a hot maid lady when the clock hits midnight. But, much to the dismay of our fairy godmother, itand#8217;s a possibility that most of the crowd will metamorph into a pack of drooling kangaroos set on bouncing until the bass stops. As this will be the last New Yearand#8217;s Eve on Earth, the Glitch Mob is sure to make it a good one. 11:15 p.m. on the SnowGlobe Stage.